Press Kit

The USC Davis School of Gerontology

The USC Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center

Gerontology is the study of aging in the context of the entire life span. The USC Davis School and its research and services component, the USC Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center, are improving the quality of life for older persons through research and education.

As the oldest and largest school of gerontology in the world, the USC Davis School has a long tradition of forging new pathways in the field of aging. A multidisciplinary institution from its inception in 1975, the Davis School was built on the bedrock of excellence in aging research. Research in molecular biology, neuroscience, demography, psychology, sociology and public policy is conducted under the auspices of the Andrus Gerontology Center, founded in 1964.

The Davis School offers broad and integrated programs covering the many facets of aging. These include multidisciplinary research on the biological, behavioral, and societal processes of aging; degree programs in gerontology, and service programs for older adults and their families.

The USC Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center is the first major research institution in the nation devoted entirely to the study of aging. Interdisciplinary investigations in neurobiology, molecular biology, cognitive psychology, biodemography, family studies, long-term care and other topics encompass the breadth of ongoing research at the Center.

The primary research goal of faculty is to shed new light on the multiple processes of aging and to better understand the implications of these processes for individuals, families, organizations and society. Their investigations generate knowledge - describing, comparing and predicting the progression of normal and pathological human development. A second objective is to bridge the gap between theory and practice through programs of continuing education, policy-related research and community service.

http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/